Heilig-Messe-Bernard of Offida 1604 1694 was a Capuchin monk whose saintly life and devotion to the sick and poor caused him to be beatified by Pope Pius VI on 19 May 1795. St. Bernard?s name day falls on the 11th of September (a Saturday in 1797) and it is generally thought that Haydn combined doing honour to the Capuchin monk with the production of a new Mass for his patron the day thereafter.Apparently later performances in Eisenstadt added horns to double the trumpets in the tuttis and just as in the previous Mass the clarinet parts were enlarged; it is almost certain that the new clarinet parts are either by Haydn or (shall we say) ?supervised? by him. As inthe Mass in Time of War conductors have the choice of two orchestrations: with or without doubling horns and with or without the supplementary clarinet parts.The Heiligmesse has always been one of Haydn?s most admired works. Its dignity its strength (we draw special attention to the extraordinary ?Gratias? with its brilliant contrapuntal writing) the subdued orchestral grandeur to which the B-flat trumpets contribute a silvery but unmartial weight all these have made it one of Haydn?s most serious and most deeply sensitive church works: its constant popularity in Viennese churches is quite deserved.Urtext from Joseph Haydn WerkeFull score (together with Missa Cellensis [Mariazellermesse] Hob.XXII:8; Missa brevis Sti Joannis de Deo [Little Organ Mass] Hob.XXII:7; Missa in Tempore Belli [Mass in Time of War] Hob.XXII:9) available for saleParts (BA4651) and vocal score (BA4651-90) available for sale

Few baroque composers were ever able to create work as sunny as joyous as Vivaldi did in this beloved Gloria. The contrast of mood throughout the work as it moves through the drama of the Mass to its satisfying double final movement shows the composer at the height of his powers.Vivaldi composed this work in Venice in about 1715 during his fruitful time at the Ospedale della Piet . In his lifetime this priest composer and virtuoso Violinist achieved enormous musical success. Considering his great popularity in the modern era it is difficult to believe that public appreciation of his work declined after his death and that the Gloria languished undiscovered forcenturies. It wasn’t until 1957 that the restored work was heard again in its entirety. Since that time this moving and joyous Gloria has been recorded more than one hundred times and perennially appears on concert series around the world.

My LifeI Is In Your Hands is an uncluttered gentle gospel song in pop style with a short spoken introduction Contemporary American composer and choir director Kirk Franklin is a Grammy Award-winning leader of urban contemporary gospel choirs with whom he has gained enormous popularity. As a composer he has created gospel works for concert performance and recording as well as film soundtracks. His work blends gospel with hip hop and R&B.

Gaudete ('rejoice' in Latin) is a sacred Christmas carol which is thought to have been composed in the 16th century but could easily have existed as a monophonic hymn in the late medieval period particularly due to its Medieval Latin lyrics. The British vocal ensemble The King's Singers recorded Gaudete for their 1990 ‘A Little Christmas Music’ album and it has remained one of their favourite most requested songs. As sung by The King’s Singers Gaudete is arranged here for SATTBB Voices a cappella. Duration ca. 1:30.The King’s Singers is a Grammy Award-winning British male sextet founded in1968 at King’s College Cambridge. The group has always consisted of six singers in total with their membership constantly changing. Over the decades the ensemble has reached an ever-widening international audience and popularity today appearing in around 125 concerts each year mostly in Europe the US and the Far East.

In writing Elijah Mendelssohn paid musical tribute to his two musical heroes Bach and Handel to which he added his own lyricism and Orchestral colour blending in Elijah elements of the Baroque and his own early Romanticism. He set the scenes of the prophet Elijah’s life in the most dramatic terms. While the oratorio immediately gained enormous popularity it has not retained the same frequency of performance in modern times though its power and beauty are undiminished.This sheet music includes thorough historical notes.

For his oratorio Mendelssohn made a discreet selection from St Paul's eventful life as recounted in the Acts of the Apostles. The story begins with the stoning of St Steven by the Jews and continues through his miraculous conversion to the scene in Lystra where Paul himself isnearly martyred by stoning and his farewell in Miletus. Hardly any oratorio of the Romantic period could match St Paul in popularity. Only years later was it overtaken in the public esteem by Mendlessohn's Elijah. In the first two years following its premiere performance it was performed in over fifty German cities in many European capitals and the United States.

The pop hit by Peter Cetera for the group Chicago soared to the top of the charts in 1977 and has retained its popularity even to the present day. This a cappella setting features a wordless tapestry of vocal harmony that showcases the smooth melody as it moves from part to part. Duration: ca. 3:20.

This iconic song from the 1960s a hit for both the Shirelles and the Mamas & the Papas among others has maintained its popularity through the generations and with music fans of all ages. Your singers will love the familiar triadic harmonies and smooth groove!

from NBC's The Sing-Off-NBC's sensational singing competition The Sing-Off continued its popularity again in 2011 with an exuberant celebration of the Lionel Richie #1 hit from 1983. Mesmerizing vocal grooves combine with solos and duets to create a joyful showcase for all types of vocal ensembles! Duration ca. 2:40.